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Ief - Using Aem Content Management
Ief - Using Aem Content Management
Ief - Using Aem Content Management
The first part of this paper provides a general overview of all three deployment options, including how to choose the
best option for your particular needs, as well as a brief description of the downstream workflow phases following
deployment. The second part of the paper is a deep-dive discussion of deployment option 1, using AEM as your CMS
or data source.
Detailed discussions of deployment options 2 and 3 ([2] third-party content and [3] ad hoc content) can be found in
companion white papers “Using a Third-Party Content Source with AEM Mobile” and “Ad Hoc Content Creation and
Management with AEM Mobile.” Each white paper in the series charts the steps for its individual deployment path.
• Develop native mobile apps for iOS, Android and Windows without the complexity and expense of native
development. You can also deliver app content and functionality to the Desktop Web Viewer for users without
a mobile device.
• Leverage content Experience Manager and other content management systems for the mobile channel.
• Centrally manage all mobile apps in the enterprise.
• Take advantage of integrated Adobe Marketing Cloud solutions alleviating the need to purchase point products
for digital marketing needs.
Custom-integrated third-party content using the On-Demand Services API (e.g., a CRM or
PIM system) or a CMS other than AEM
Ad Hoc content creation and management using InDesign, Adobe Document Cloud PDFs,
or HTML
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 2
How should you choose your content sources?
Choosing your content source or sources will be driven by a number of questions, including:
• Where does the content that you already have come from? Who creates it? Will you repurpose that content and
those resources for delivering content to mobile?
• Who will create the content for your mobile app(s), and what kind of skills do they have? Typical content
creators include:
• A designer (web- or print-oriented, HTML, PDF, InDesign).
• A non-designer marketer or producer (using CMS/templates/workflow).
• A developer (HTML/database-driven, automated workflows).
• Who will update the content, how frequently, and using which tools?
Based on these factors, you could choose to use just one of these content sources or any combination of the three.
Remember, you are not limited to a single path.
Even if you do not currently use AEM, adopting it gives you an opportunity to build a robust content infrastructure
that lays the groundwork for an efficient multi-channel content creation and management operation.
If you want to leverage additional custom systems such as a PIM or CRM system, or any other data source, AEM is a
logical choice. AEM will act as an integration point and centralized hub to manage incoming data from any number
of sources.
Please note that to effectively use AEM in your organization, it needs to be customized to your needs, and you will
require a specific set of skills and resources. Many customers work with Adobe Solution Partners and system
integrators to deploy, configure and customize AEM and create templates that can then be used by internal staff.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 3
Scenario 2: Third-party content sources
If you already use a content management system (CMS) for authoring and managing content for another channel,
such as a web site, and you decide you want to use some or all of the assets that are already in that system for your
mobile app, then it may make sense to integrate that CMS with AEM Mobile.
Likewise, if your content source is another system that is not a CMS, such as a product information management
system or a customer relationship management system, your best approach may be to leverage AEM Mobile’s
On-Demand Services APIs to integrate your system(s) with AEM Mobile.
This approach supports HTML, Adobe InDesign, and PDF content, with a direct integration with Adobe
Document Cloud.
Scenario 1 will be covered in detail in this paper. Scenarios 2 and 3 are covered in separate documents.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 4
The Ultimate Goal: A Mobile App
Before describing in detail the way in which you manage the content of your mobile app, there are common shared
practices in the overall app creation workflow and lifecycle of every deployment scenario. After you’ve built and
deployed your app, you can update content to it using a number of different authoring tools without requiring a
rebuild and update of the app binary.
• Content flows to the app built using AEM Mobile On-Demand Services
• The deployed apps are measured and optimized using insight and tools offered by Marketing Cloud
Once you choose your content source, the workflow for building, extending, delivering, measuring and optimizing
your apps is the same.
Adobe Experience
Manager (AEM) as a
content management and • iOS, Android, Windows
Project Services:
authoring system
• User/Project • Internal Distribution
Management (MDM)
• External Distribution
2 • App Building
(App stores)
• Content organization
• Web Viewer
Third-party systems • Navigation definition
and workflows and design
Marketing Cloud
• Publishing Integration
3 App Services:
• Push Notifications
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 5
CREATE & UPDATE CONTENT
In this paper, we will be detailing Scenario 1: Using Experience Manager as a content management and authoring
system. First, we’ve outlined the phases of the workflow described above, that are common across all scenarios, no
matter what you choose as a content source.
AEM Mobile On-Demand Services are accessible via a Web browser (https://aemmobile.adobe.com) or through the
AEM Mobile On-Demand Services API.
The On-Demand Services provide the following capabilities for building and extending apps:
Cordova extensibility, available in HTML articles and web overlays in InDesign-based articles, provides access to the
following capabilities:
• Core Cordova plug-ins – Take advantage of core Cordova plug-ins such as Camera, Contacts, Geolocation, and
File Sharing.
• Custom Cordova plug-ins – Leverage plug-ins from the Cordova/PhoneGap community or create your own
plug-ins. Examples: barcode scanning and mobile databases.
• AEM Mobile specific plug-ins enabled through Cordova – Plug-ins to access specific data related to the
application and the content metadata.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 6
DELIVER, MEASURE & OPTIMIZE
Your AEM Mobile apps can be deployed to iOS, Android, Windows as well as a Desktop Web Viewer. Apps can be
deployed publicly through each platform’s app store, or internally, including via Mobile Device Management
(MDM) systems.
For measuring and optimizing your apps, Analytics Essentials and Push Messaging are included with an AEM Mobile
license. In addition, the following products, which are part of Adobe Marketing Cloud, work well with AEM Mobile,
but require additional licenses:
• Adobe Mobile Analytics.
• Mobile Marketing, including In-App Messaging, and Acquisition Tracking.
See the “App Deployment” and “Integration with Adobe Marketing Cloud” sections of this document for
more information.
CREATE AND UPDATE BUILD & EXTEND APPS DELIVER, MEASURE &
CONTENT OPTIMIZE
App Services:
• Push Notifications
• Acquisition Tracking
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 7
This section explains how to use Experience Manager (AEM) as the content management system and data source
for AEM Mobile. It provides the specific information you’ll need to effectively execute this deployment approach.
Using AEM with AEM Mobile is the easiest and most efficient deployment path for enterprises that want to leverage
their time and financial investment in their existing AEM infrastructure. It is also the preferred approach for
companies that need an enterprise system for managing and deploying content used in a variety of
output channels.
In this scenario, AEM is used to manage and author content for AEM Mobile apps providing
tools such as:
Asset Template-based Publishing workflows Content organization A “dashboard” for all of your
Management content authoring for the mobile app organization apps
System Requirements
AEM 6.1 Feature Pack 3 and later, or AEM 6.2 or later (On-Premise or Managed Service installation)
You will need to take into consideration the content update demands that will be added to your AEM installation by
your mobile app(s). The additional authoring load for a mobile app will be similar to the load created by an
additional web site. For example, adding a 10-screen app would be similar to adding a 10-page website.
Considerations include:
• The number of authoring users working with app content.
• The amount, size, and type of assets being used by the app.
• The number of uploads from your AEM Author instance to On-Demand Services.
Additional information on AEM capacity planning can be found at the following links:
https://docs.adobe.com/docs/en/aem/6-2/manage/managing-projects/concept-planning.html#Capacity%20and%20
Volume
https://docs.adobe.com/docs/en/aem/6-2/manage/capacity-guide.html
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 8
Please note that the mobile apps themselves download content from On-Demand Services, not from your AEM
instances directly. The cloud-based AEM Mobile Delivery Service hosts the mobile app content and distributes the
content to app users via CDN (content delivery network) edge servers.
If needed, you can engage the services of an Adobe Solution Partner or Adobe Global Services to help define
your unique requirements, install, and configure your instances.
AEM can be deployed either on your own servers via the “on premise” option, or via an Adobe Managed
Services option:
AEM On-Premise
AEM instances can be installed on your own servers or servers you control. You will have to monitor, manage, and
system-administer these servers.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 9
Creating Content for Mobile Using AEM
AEM provides you with two environments—author and publish. The only environment required and used for
distributing content to AEM Mobile On-Demand Services is the author environment.
The author environment provides the mechanisms for creating, updating, and reviewing this content before actually
publishing it. An author creates content using templates, and then publishes the content to the
On-Demand Services.
AEM comes with sample templates for authoring content, but you will likely need to customize these templates to
your content needs, or create new templates, which require an AEM developer. If you don’t have AEM developer
resources in-house, you can choose to engage a knowledgeable partner (https://solutionpartners.adobe.com/home/
partnerFinder.html) or refer to learning resources referenced below to train your own staff.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 10
Required Skills and Resources
• UX / Graphic Design.
• Web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, HTTP request-response).
• Java development.
• AEM development.
• Content authoring/updating (with basic knowledge of AEM authoring).
• Have a UI or web designer design how you want your content to look. This can be done in Photoshop, HTML,
etc., depending on your design resources.
• Provide designs to an AEM developer who can translate that design into a working AEM template
and components:
Templates https://docs.adobe.com/docs/en/aem/6-2/develop/templates.html
Components https://docs.adobe.com/docs/en/aem/6-2/develop/components.html
• Have an AEM developer instrument how the template creates an article file that can be uploaded to the
AEM app:
EM Mobile On-Demand
A https://docs.adobe.com/docs/en/aem/6-2/develop/mobile-apps/apps/mobile-content-
Connector delivery-connector.html
• Those templates/components can then be used by an AEM author (marketer, producer, non-developer) for the
purposes of creating new content (or updating it) using the provided template, and leveraging media assets
and text stored in AEM.
• An AEM author can then upload content to the AEM app without requiring app rebuild.
https://docs.adobe.com/docs/en/aem/6-2/develop/mobile-apps/apps/mobile-content-delivery-connector/app-
dashboard.html
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 11
Existing AEM: Leveraging existing assets, templates, and workflows
There are ways you can reuse assets you already use from AEM for other channels. However, you’ll need to pay
attention to the unique requirements for publishing content to mobile apps that necessitate the creation of
mobile-specific templates as outlined below.
An AEM developer can make appropriate changes to templates and components. In many cases, a new version of a
template is made specifically for the mobile app.
The AEM developer dictates how the template will create an article file that can be uploaded to the AEM app.
The templates/components in question can then be used by an AEM author (marketer, producer, non-developer) for
the purposes of creating new content (or updating it) using the provided template, and leveraging media assets and
text stored in AEM.
The AEM author can then upload content to the AEM Mobile app without requiring app rebuild.
https://docs.adobe.com/docs/en/aem/6-2/develop/mobile-apps/apps/mobile-content-delivery-connector/app-
dashboard.html
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 12
Instituting Workflows for Mobile Using AEM
AEM allows you to create custom workflows to automate the creation of mobile content and the uploading of this
content to On-Demand Services.
The Workflow Engine, part of AEM’s core, can:
• String together AEM processes in any fashion.
• Interact with external systems.
The actual code that gets executed by a workflow is called a “Workflow Model,” and can consist of pre-built
workflow steps, or custom Java or JavaScript code.
“Trigger Events” launch a workflow based on rules, creating an instance of a Workflow Model.
Workflows are typically created by an AEM Administrator, but require Java or JavaScript developers to create
custom workflow steps, and backend developers to integrate with external systems.
Examples
Multi-channel publishing workflow: Creating content for AEM Sites automatically kicks off a workflow that uses the
same assets but with mobile-specific templates. Adobe customer Hartford Funds automated their mobile workflow
by extending their existing AEM Sites review/approval/publish workflow. Read more about the Hartford Funds app
and how they built it in the following links.
Overview https://blogs.adobe.com/aemmobile/2016/03/new-app-helps-hartford-funds-reach-
financial-advisors.html
AEM developers can start by creating basic workflows and then add capabilities. Here are some examples of
the open-ended possibilities that help streamline process or make for robust integrations:
• Integrate with high-volume data from Product Information Management systems (PIMs).
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 13
Integrating Enterprise Systems with AEM Mobile
Many companies need to connect their mobile apps with existing enterprise systems other than their CMS – for
example, a Product Information Management (PIM) or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
There are two approaches for integrating enterprise systems with AEM Mobile: Connecting the system to On-
Demand Services or connecting it to AEM.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 14
Connecting a system to AEM
You can also develop custom integrations and workflows directly with AEM.
You may want to consider this approach if you already have AEM and AEM Assets, your third-party system does not
have the ability to create packaged HTML or PDF content, and you want that content to be used for other purposes
(multi-channel).
For example, if your Product Information Management (PIM) system has raw metadata and images, and you
want to get this structured product data into your mobile app, you would create a custom integration from the
PIM system to AEM Assets, and then manipulate this data into AEM templates via custom workflows. A major
benefit of this scenario is that the structured PIM data can also feed your websites.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 15
App Creation and Management Workflow
Creating and managing an AEM Mobile app entails using On-Demand Services to build an app, design its basic
interface, and then manage the app’s content updates, messaging, and analytics.
These resource and skill requirements depend on the nature of your app. The simplest app might not require
custom workflow or back-end development. A single person may perform activities across more than one of
the above skill sets.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 16
App Creation Workflow
Anyone can use the simple app building wizard in the On-Demand Services to generate pre-built native apps for
iOS, Android, and/or Windows. Please note that:
• Apps require appropriate platform-specific certificates for signing the apps prior to installing on devices, using a
provided signing tool
The app experience is determined by the navigation screens and content delivered to the app. Please note that:
• Designers can create app navigation screens using the WYSIWYG Layout Tools.
• Developers can develop custom and dynamic article templates within AEM. They can:
• Create custom templates to address specific devices and/or to include specific business logic..
• Back-end developers can build Integrations with enterprise systems such as ERP, CRM, or other systems.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 17
Content Creation and App Management Workflow
Marketers or content creators can create and deliver content to the app using these template-based workflows
in AEM:
• Assets stored in AEM that are used for other channels, such as Sites or Commerce.
Marketers can send in-app messages and push notifications to app users to notify and engage users, and pull in
users who haven’t opened the app in some time.
• Content and app UI updates do NOT require a new build of the app, and therefore do not require resubmission
to app store review processes.
Network Information Provides information about device cellular and wifi connections
Media Provides the ability to record and play back audio files on a device
Media Capture Provides access to device audio, image and video capture capabilities
Globalization Provides access to operations specific to the user locale, language, and timezone
WKWebView Uses WKWebView instead of UIWebView for HTML Articles and Web Overlays on iOS9
These core plug-ins are available to use in any of your AEM Mobile applications. To take advantage of these plug-ins
you must first enable them on the app settings page for your iOS, Android, or Windows application.
Beyond the standard set of core Cordova plug-ins, there is an extensive developer community focused on creating
Cordova plug-ins. Additional plug-ins built for platforms such as PhoneGap, or Ionic may also be compatible with
AEM Mobile applications, as these platforms are also based on the Cordova framework.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 18
App Previewing and Deployment
Once you start flowing content into On-Demand Services and designing the app interface, you can preview the
end-user experience using the AEM Preflight tool. AEM Preflight is a publicly available app downloadable from app
stores that allows you to test all functionality and flow of your app.
When you are ready to go live, you build your app using On-Demand Services, you publish your content, and you
deploy your app. Content and app interface updates can be made to your deployed app without requiring app
rebuild and redeployment.
Deployed Apps
The AEM Preflight app for each platform can be found at the following links:
iOS https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-experience-manager-mobile/id1042687518?mt=8
Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adobe.dps.preflight&hl=en
Windows https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/adobe-experience-manager-mobile-
preflight/9nblggh5wmxq
Details for building and distributing apps for each target platform can be found at the following links:
iOS https://helpx.adobe.com/digital-publishing-solution/help/building-ios-apps.html
Android https://helpx.adobe.com/digital-publishing-solution/help/building-apps-android.html
Windows https://helpx.adobe.com/digital-publishing-solution/help/building-windows-apps.html
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 19
Notifications Service
Push Notifications can be sent to the devices of all users that have
installed your app, or targeted to a specific set of users. These
messages do not require users to currently be running your app.
Push notifications can trigger content downloads or display text
notifications to users.
Authentication Integration
If you want to add a sign-in function to your app, you can implement and control the authentication process. The
custom authentication sign-in experience appears in the app as a full-screen web view that you design. We support
the following protocols:
• OAuth 2.0, including support for social sharing logins such as Facebook or Gmail
For example, you can allow your sales representatives to login to the app using their email and password plus OKTA
verification (SAML 2.0). Or, you could allow customers to log in to the app using their Gmail or Facebook account
(OAuth 2.0). The app obtains authorization tokens from these identity providers, which you can use in your
entitlement service to grant users access to content.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 20
Entitlement Support
By setting up your own entitlement service for your app, you can allow authenticated users to become entitled to
specific content. Adobe has provided example code for a basic entitlement service. Instructions for editing this
sample code and uploading it to your server are found at:
Analytics
Analytics in AEM Mobile apps is provided by Adobe Marketing Cloud. You can access these integrated analytics
tools as follows:
• If your company has an Adobe Analytics account, you can specify that account information in Master Settings
(requires a Master Admin account). Doing so links your projects to the Adobe Analytics account.
• If you do not have an Adobe Analytics account, you can request a complimentary Analytics Essentials account
through Master Settings.
The capabilities of full Adobe Analytics enable sophisticated analysis of your apps, including the paths that users
take through your apps, and even the behavior of different groups of users over time.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 21
By visualizing common paths that users take through your app, you can determine, for example, if you should move
a piece of content or functionality so that it’s easier to access.
Retention analysis using a Cohort Report shows how likely it is for users that first installed your app during different
time periods to return to the app over time. With this data, you can see how changes to the app and content over
time impact users’ engagement with the app.
You can also purchase additional Marketing Cloud capabilities such as In-App Messaging and
Acquisition tracking.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 22
Push Notifications
The ability to send push messages from the Marketing Cloud is complimentary to the Notifications Service, which
lets you use the On-Demand Services Portal to send push notifications to app users. Use the Adobe Mobile
Marketing Cloud to send push messages to both iOS and Android app users. Push messages appear outside of your
app, making them useful for re-engaging passive users or conveying time-specific and location-specific information.
Marketing Cloud-based push messages use Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) for Android apps and Apple Push
Notification Service (APNS) for iOS apps. You can target push messages to users by specifying Analytics segments or
custom segments.
In-App Messaging
By leveraging the capabilities of the Mobile Services SDK non-technical users can easily create, manage, publish, and
measure custom messages that appear within AEM Mobile apps. You can specify sophisticated triggers and
targeting for in-app messages, allowing you to offer targeted product suggestions, cross-promote related apps, or
serve up relevant content.
Acquisition Tracking
For publicly available apps created with AEM Mobile, Acquisition Tracking can help you understand exactly which
campaigns are driving the most app store downloads, and help you understand the effectiveness of your overall
user acquisition efforts.
Adobe Experience Manager Mobile Using Experience Manager as the Content Management System 23
Conclusion
Using Experience Manager together with AEM Mobile is an efficient, cost-effective, multi-channel solution for
deploying enterprise mobile apps. Understanding the challenges and requirements of this deployment path as
detailed in this paper is essential for maximizing the potential of this approach.
From connecting Experience Manager and leveraging the system’s content authoring tools, to securing the right
people, to customizing your workflows for AEM Mobile—following the recommended steps and procedures will
help ensure that you make the most of this powerful solution for deploying your enterprise mobile apps.
If you have additional questions about this deployment path, refer to the detailed documentation and videos
cited throughout this document or consult with your Adobe Representative or Adobe Solution Partner.
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